Match Report

A much needed victory and three points to help our current tally resulted from another committed performance today. We started a bit shaky and a bit nervous and it took a while for us to get into the game, but in the end we prevailed, mainly due to a really decent 2nd half, that saw us come back with three goals to win after trailing 0-1 at half time. We spoke about building on last week’s performance before the game and agreed that we needed to match that, with some sharper finishing to get something out of the game today.

However we definitely were not at the races in the 1st twenty minutes or so, we needed too many touches to get the ball under control and our passing radar was well off as we gave it away too cheaply. We also lacked speed in our passing, dithering in possession instead of making the pass when it was clearly there to be executed. In everyone’s defence the pitch was firm and a bit uneven in places and this didn’t make things any easier for the players. It was very early on when we were punished for one of our wayward passes, the ball was played through for their forward who sprinted past a very ‘square’ defence and finished with ease to make it 0-1 to Cudham. We then spent the next 15-20 minutes continuing in scrappy, untidy fashion and got somewhat agitated with some refereeing decisions on what we thought were decent penalty claims. To our credit we kept on trying to play and gradually things started to improve. We were dealing with our defensive duties better and tightened things up, our passes were coming together and we looked more of a threat in front of goal. However we couldn’t quite turn things round before the half ended.

Cudham seemed to tire in the heat and we just got better and better as the game progressed. Walsham took a free kick out on our right and swung it in perfectly for Skrine to volley home, it was a lovely finish and no less than we deserved. Just 10 minutes later Skrine, again involved, took a free kick from the left flank. This time it was a right footed in-swinger, perfectly flighted in, which was met superbly by Nott, another good finish to give us a 2-1 lead. Now we were in the ascendancy for sure, more goals looked possible. Hussein was bundled over in the box and Milner, who had asked for the penalties before the game in the dressing room, stepped up. This time the ref had seen the incident through the same spectacles as ourselves. Milner finished perfectly into the corner with a thumping effort that the keeper had no chance with. 3-1 and that’s how it finished.

After an uncertain start to the game we ended up thoroughly deserved winners, the result was a fine testament to our ability, never to give up and to keep on playing, even when the situation appeared loaded against us. We came through in the end and let our football do the talking. This was another solid team performance which was backed up with a winning result fully deserved – well played lads.